Nuclear Industry Petitions Congress...We Want To Rape America

Al Gore's Inconvenient truth...an appropriate name for what the Green Nuclear Butterfly is bringing out into the light of day. Question is, where is Al Gore on this important issue, where does he stand on Nuclear Energy, on the DOE's Nuclear 2010 plan that calls for the NRC to rubber stamp the re licensing of almost every ailing, aged Nuclear Reactor in the current fleet, where does he stand on the devious plan to build 400-700 Nuclear Reactors around the world.

The FIX IS IN...we have Retired Admiral Skip Bowman (who was in charge of the Navy's entire nuclear program) now acting as the hired gun of the Nuclear Industry's lobbying arm, National Energy Institute. testifying before Congress about the need for CONTINUED FUNDING of the DOE's Nuclear Power 2010 plan, a plan who's birth father is George W. Bush. Without actually speaking the words, Skip Bowman makes it clear what he, the NEI, the DOE and the NRC expect Congress to do...go along with the plan to fund the rebirth of the nuclear industry, to pass legislation that will force American taxpayers to subsidize over time the Nuclear Industry to the tune of 4-7 TRILLION DOLLARS.

His testimony starts off from the very beginning talking about the need for new Nuclear Capacity...no discussion of exploring other alternative earth friendly energies, just a discussion wherein diminishing oil and gas supplies coupled with the reality of global warming makes Nuclear the obvious choice, and then chiding Congress to continue funding the nuclear industry at unprecedented levels. Let's explain this...the nuclear industry claims they do not have the necessary funding to create design details that the NRC requires to approve a new reactor design...instead, they want us as American citizens to pay the cost of the industry's RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT.

Now, the nuclear energy industry as a whole, through out their various assorted company's and supportive groups (NEI, WNA to name two) have over the past ten years or so spent over TWO BILLION DOLLARS lobbying our federally elected officials. Perhaps that money would have been better spent doing the research they are now claiming needs to be done? Perhaps Entergy would have been better off spending all the money ($400 million) they set aside for stock buy backs into research, better off taking the money they give to groups like Peekskill's Paramount Theatre in an attempt to buy favor on doing this research and development, instead of asking us the tax payer to pay their tab?

Bowman stated, that the industry has accelerated their spending on NP2010, and they would like Congress in turn to accelerate government spending on the program...sort of the chicken and the egg argument, with the nuclear industry saying, "We want to build new reactors" but "we want the government to pay for the DESIGNS...oh, and while we are on the subject, we are also going to want the government to give us VERY LOW INTEREST LOANS to build these reactors, and last but not least, hold us harmless for civilian financial damages should there be a major nuclear incident from one of these new reactors, or any of the older ones."

It would be nice if the above were the only DEMANDS that SKIPPER BOY BOWMAN had for our 110th Congress, but hold on folks, seems that the nuclear industry is also very concerned about some of the RISKS THEY FACE from overly burdensome NRC regulations, those on the books, and those that might be added to the books as new regulations are created...it interferes with their plans. Dancing around coming out straight with what he wanted, Skip instead said just enough to let our Congressmen/women read between the lines...he wants, the nuclear industry wants the new generation of reactors they are wanting to build grand fathered in under the old existing less stringent 10 CFR rules and regulations. Congress, moving quickly he says would help the Nuclear Industry to move forward EXPEDITIOUSLY. In short, he wants new reactors granted a waiver from new stricter siting criteria.

As mentioned above, Skip Bowman then expressed his concern that the industry could not afford to build these NEW reactors, that the money (as in investors) was not there. Faced with this truth, he instead wants Congress to write some new legislation that would allow various companies (ENTERGY/NuSTART) to borrow the money from the government at very cheap interest rates, and to guarantee the loans. Now, I know I am a DUMB OLD FARM BOY, but seems to me, that if we really have no choice but to BUILD all these new nuclear reactors, and they are going to be built with TAX PAYER DOLLARS, that we should do away with the profit mongers, and have the reactors OWNED BY THE PEOPLE of America, instead of being built to profit a few money whores within the small circle of the rich and elite. After all, we are taking ALL THE RISKS. Mind you, Green Nuclear Butterfly is not endorsing a new generation of reactors, but if such a reality is forced upon us, and if it is our money building them, then we should own them ourselves. It is suggested here that EVERY AMERICAN CITIZEN write, call, fax and email their elected officials stating you are against IMPLEMENTING REGULATIONS that would assure the eligibility of large projects such as the 200 new reactors that the nuclear industry wants to build with our money.

Bowman completed his presentation to Congress by suggesting Congress needed to take action to fix the nuclear waste disposal problem...in short, pass a federal law forcing the waste on the folks out west, mandating that YUCCA MOUNTAIN become the defacto national nuclear waste dump site. Well isn't that nice of our Admiral Skip Bowman? It gets better...not only does Skipper Boy Bowman want YUCCA MOUNTAIN to play host for the nuclear industry's waste streams, but he wants the 70,000 Metric Ton limited removed as well....it's simply not enough! How much waste does Bowman want stored at Yucca Mountain you ask? He wants it open ended, wants us to trust the powers that be to make technical decisions as they go along...sort of like with all the spent fuel rod storage facilities now bursting at the seems with re stacked, overly crowded conditions, begging for a major accident at every single reactor in America...OH YEAH, there's a great one for Congress to consider. Let's KILL NEVADA!

He closed with a rather STARLING ADMISSION, though probably did not mean to. He was pushing Congress to support the Nuclear Energy Partnership initiative in a broad bipartisan way, and to pass legislation that allows for more flexibility in the nuclear process, one that can accommodate technological successes and failures (and there will be both)....OK, stop right there. There will be successes, and there will be FAILURES. Wait a minute America...are you willing to have your community play RUSSIAN ROULETTE by having one of these reactors in your CITY? Are you willing to turn the other way and go along with the NRC when they force another city to play RUSSIAN ROULETTE? Are you fine knowing one of us is DOOMED to be a FAILURE?

Before you buy into the LIE of GREEN NUCLEAR, it is strongly suggested you start doing some serious homework on this subject, as it could mean the deaths of millions of people, generations of children born with horrid birth defects, generations of elevated cancer rates, as it only takes ONE SERIOUS ACCIDENT, and as it is, we have been lucky in narrowly avoiding numerous MAJOR INCIDENTS at these sites, and those are just the ones that the NRC and the nuclear industry have not been able to keep secret, and out of the public domain.